Lighting device for trees



1311- 21, 1964 R. s. HOLBROOK LIGHTING DEVICE FOR TREES Filed Jan. 3, 1962 K m MR mm W H. m M s m m T E. wW s R H Y B limited States Patent 3,118,618 LIGHTING DEVICE FOR TREES Robert S. Holbrook, 239 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah Filed Jan. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 164,197 4 Claims. (Cl. 240-10) The present invention relates to lighting devices for trees such as Christmas trees and, more particularly, to a new and improved lighting device which is very inexpensive to manufacture, and yet which is easily mountable to the top stern of a Christmas tree and easily powered by means other than conventionally used central conductors.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful lighting device for trees such as Christmas trees, which is very inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a light ing device of the type described wherein the conductor pair of the same is preliminarily secured to a mounting tube by very convenient means so that the combination may be inserted into a plastic mold for receiving a decorative head encasement which circumscribes the mounting tube and the related extremity of the conductor pair of the device.

A further object of this invention is to provide inexpensively manufactured lighting means for displaying a top light such as a star at the top of the Christmas tree, for example, this in combination with direct connection to a depending light string which may be disposed about the tree being decorated in any desired configuration.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lighting device for a Christmas tree wherein switch means and power means are automatically supplied a single depending string of lights without further accessories.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of a tree lighting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevation of a portion of the device shown in FIGURE 1 when the mounting tube of the same is encased by suitable, molded plastic fill material.

FIGURE 3 is an elevation, drawn substantially in a horizontal plane relative to the viewer, of a lighting device for trees according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail, in section, of a portion of the device shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an elevation, drawn largely along a horizontal plane relative to the viewer, of an additional embodiment of the invention wherein but one light socket is used, with the same being provided with a star-type light screwed therein.

In FIGURES 1 and 2 the tree lighting device is shown to include a light string 11 comprising a conductor pair 12, one or more light sockets 13 physically afiixed and electrically connected to the light string, a permissably included, on-ofi switch 13 interposed medially of said conductor pair 12, and a power input plug :13" connected in the usual manner to extremity 14 of conductor pair 12. Extremity 15 of conductor pair 12 is secured to a mounting tube 16 by means of preferably plastic adhesive tape 17 being wrapped securely around the conductor pair 12 (at 15) and around the mounting tube 16 as shown. The light sockets 13 may take any one of several forms extant. Preferably, for convenience of as- Patented Jan. 2 1, 1964 sembling, the double bayonet-type socket (see FIGURE 4, for example) is suitable for a rapid securernent of the light sockets 13 to the light string 12. Lights 18 are disposed in their respective sockets 13 and may be of any convenient or desired form.

During some convenient time in the fabrication of the device, as, for example, when conductor pair 12 has been initially secured to the mounting tube 16 by tape I17, this mounting tube end of the combination will be inserted in a suitable plastic mold to receive thermosetting plastic fill material 19 which, by the mold, produces a plastic body 20 encasing extremity 15 of conductor pair 12, the adhesive tape 17, and some or all of the mounting tube 16.

Thus, the adhesive tape 17, provides a very convenient means for preliminarily positioning the extremity 15 of conductor pair 12 relative to mounting tu'be 16 so that a molded head as at 2% can be provided.

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention wherein the tree lighting device 21 includes a light string 22 comprising conductor pair 23, power input plug 24, physically aflixed and electrically connected thereto, an interposed on-ofi switch 25 which is connected in a conventional manner, the light sockets 13 (see FIGURE 1 of the first embodiment of the invention) and a top light, light socket 26 partially disposed within mounting tube 27 preliminarily atlixed thereto by means of adhesive 28. The securement of socket 26 to mounting tube 27 is illustrated in FIGURE 4 wherein, for example, the socket 26 may be preliminarily inserted and/ or press fitted into mounting tube 27, with plastic fill material, cement or other substance 29 being ultimately inserted so as to affix rigidly the socket 26 to the mounting tube 27. Again, conductor pair 23 is preliminarily secured by a piece of adhesive tape 28 prior to the introduction of the combination of members 26 and 2'7 into a plastic mold for receiving thermosetting plastic film material 30 to form the body 31. The conductor pair 23 are electrically connected to socket 26 by conventional bayonet type prongs 32. In any event, it will be noted that the adhesive tape 28 again plays the part of initially positioning and retaining the light string 23 close to mounting tube 27 so that the combination may be introduced into the mold for receiving a plastic fill material 39.

The FIGURE 5 embodiment is substantially the same as that shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 with the exception that this time the additional light sockets 13 with lights 18 and switch 25 are not shown. Of course any combination on the above may be used as desired. This third embodiment in FIGURE 5 is designated as 32.

Of importance is the fact that, as has been illustrated, a light string may depend from the top stern of a Christmas tree as at T in FIGURE 1, with the end of the light being directly connectable to power source. The adhesive tape means as at 28 secures the conductor pair to their respective mounting tube so that satisfactory insertion into a mold for receiving the body of fill material as at 30 or 19 is made possible.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall in the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A lighting device for trees including, in combination, a light string comprising a conductor pair, plural light sockets electrically connected and physically afiixed to said conductor pair medially thereof, plural lights disposed in said light sockets, and an electrical power input plug electrically connected and physically affixed to said conductor pair on one side of said light socket; mounting tube means for mounting said device to and about the top stem of a tree; adhesive tape means wrapped about said conductor pair and said mounting tube means, physically securing said conductor pair, on the remaining side of said light socket to and against said mounting tube means; and a body of plastic material molded about and alfixed to said mounting tube, circumscribingly encasing said adhesive tape, that portion or" said conductor pair proximate said mounting tube means, and said mounting tube means.

2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein one of said light sockets is disposed within and secured to an uppermost portion of said mounting tube means.

3. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said device includes a switch interposed in said conductor pair between said power input plug and said light sockets.

4. A lighting device for trees including, in combination, a light string comprising a conductor pair, plural light sockets electrically connected and physically ariixed to said conductor pair medially thereof, plural lights disposed in said light sockets, and an electrical power input plug electrically connected and physically affixed to said conductor pair on one side of said light socket; mounting tube means for mounting said device to and about the top stem of a tree; means wrapped about said conductor pair and said mounting tube means, physically securing said conductor pair proximate said mounting tube means to and against said mounting tube means; and a body of plastic material molded about and afiixed to said mounting tube, circumscribingly encasing said means, that portion of said conductor pair proximate said mounting tube means, and said mounting tube means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,563,048 Stien Nov. 24, 1925 2,092,520 Nielson Sept. 7, 1937 2,242,597 Quandee May 20, 1941 2,863,041 Steinbach Dec. 2, 1958 3,009,052 Holbrook Nov. 14, 1961 

4. A LIGHTING DEVICE FOR TREES INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION, A LIGHT STRING COMPRISING A CONDUCTOR PAIR, PLURAL LIGHT SOCKETS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED AND PHYSICALLY AFFIXED TO SAID CONDUCTOR PAIR MEDIALLY THEREOF, PLURAL LIGHTS DISPOSED IN SAID LIGHT SOCKETS, AND AN ELECTRICAL POWER INPUT PLUG ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED AND PHYSICALLY AFFIXED TO SAID CONDUCTOR PAIR ON ONE SIDE OF SAID LIGHT SOCKET; MOUNTING TUBE MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID DEVICE TO AND ABOUT THE TOP STEM OF A TREE; MEANS WRAPPED ABOUT SAID CONDUCTOR PAIR AND SAID MOUNTING TUBE MEANS, PHYSICALLY SECURING SAID CONDUCTOR PAIR PROXIMATE SAID MOUNTING TUBE MEANS TO AND AGAINST SAID MOUNTING TUBE MEANS; AND A BODY OF PLASTIC MATERIAL MOLDED ABOUT AND AFFIXED TO SAID MOUNTING TUBE, CIRCUMSCRIBINGLY ENCASING SAID MEANS, THAT PORTION OF SAID CONDUCTOR PAIR PROXIMATE SAID MOUNTING TUBE MEANS, AND SAID MOUNTING TUBE MEANS. 